Pollenizer



Sept. 23, 1941.

R. H. CLARK- POLLENIZER a5- an 0 o O O W i 5/ #f g i5 71 "I gill!- ll 0 a -1 {a 5 46' 034/ #6 39 8 20 o O O O glwue/wtoo Rag H. LZarii sept- 1941- R. H. CLARK 2,257,036

POLLENIZER Filed June 20/ 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "MWMMMMWMIWIMWIRWIWIIIWill jwe/Mm Ray Hl'iar/l Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE POLLENIZER Ray H. Clark, Star City,lnd.

Application June 20, 1940, Serial No. 341,566

6 Claims.

This invention relates to amachine or device for thefertilization of plants, such as clover by providing means for removing the pollen from the blossoms for releasing the stamens therefrom for causing the distribution of the pollen to the blossoms of other plants to insure fertilization thereof.

More particularly, it is aimed to provide a device of the character heretofore described of simple construction, capable of being'easily and efficiently operated to fertilize clover, in a relatively large area very quickly and efliciently; and provided with means for adjusting the elevation of the pollenizing element to adjust the element to stands of clover of difierent heights.

It is a further aim of the invention to provide a pollenizer employing an elongated rotary brush for accomplishing the pollenizing and fertilization of a plant, which is especially adapted for use on clover, the blossoms of which stand substantially upright and have relatively deep .bowls, so that it is necessary to provide a device, such as a revolving brush, that will enter the bowls for ,-releasing the pollen from the bloom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and

wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the machine,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 22 of Figure l, a

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially views taken substantially along the planes of the lines 5-5 and 66, respectively, of Figure 1,

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein likereference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, 10 designates generally a vehicle including a pair of ground wheels I I which are keyed to the ends of an axle H. A main frame l3, of the vehicle Ill, is provided at its, sides and intermediate of its forward and rear'ends with bearings i i in which are journaled the axle I2 for supporting the frame l3 between the wheels H and beneath the axle I2. The bearings i l areprovided with upwardly projecting lugs l5 having inwardly projecting pins It for pivotally mounting the rear end of a secondary frame H, which is disposed above the forward end of the frame l3 and which is adapted to be supported in substantially a horizontal position by means'of a horse, not shown, connected to the shafts I8. These partsof the vehicle l0 correspond substantially' to the conventional construction of a hay tedder machine, and are illustrated and described merely to illustrate the application of the pollenizing attachment, which will hereinafter be described.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, an arcuately shaped rack i9 is secured to the frame I! and pivotally mounts a lever 2|] having a latch element 25 for engaging the notches of the rack 19 for holding the'lever --20 in adjusted positions relatively to the rack. An arm 22 is formed integral with the pivotally connected end of the lever 2c and projects'rearwardly therefrom substantially at a right angle to the lever. A link 23 is pivotally connected at one end to an ear which is secured to the forward end of the frame l3, and is provided adjacent its opposite end with a series of spaced openings 25 adapted to be selectively engaged by a removable fastening carried by the free end of the arm 22, designated 26 for adjustably and pivotally connecting the upper end of the bar 23 to the free end of the arm 22. A pair of corresponding arms 21 are secured to the rear end of the frame 13, at the sides thereof, and extend rearwardly from the frame and outwardly relatively to each other so that the free-ends of the arms 21 will be off-set outwardly relatively to their secured ends, as best seen in Figure 1. Journal blocks 28, formed of detachable sections 29 are mounted on the free ends of the arms 21 and secured thereto by the nut and bolt fastenings 30, which in addition connect the sections 29. The upper sections 29 of the blocks 28 are provided with lubricating ports 3|. An arm 32 is secured to and projects rearwardly from the frame l3,'between and substantially intermediate of the arms 21, and is provided at its free end with a bearing block 33 I which is detachably mounted thereon by'means of nut and bolt fastenings 3B. The bearing block 33 is also provided with a lubricating port 3|.

A shaft 34, as best seen in Figure 3, includes a rod 35, the ends of which are disposed in the adjacent, ends of a pair of pipes or tubes 36. The rod 35 is connected to the tubes 36 by means of wedge shaped pins 3'! which extend through alined openings 38 in the rod and tubes and which position the tubes 36 with their adjacent ends in spaced apart relationship. Each of the journals 28 forms a bearing for one of the pipes the sprocket wheels 42 and 43 to revolve the shaft 34 when the wheels ll are turned, by movement of the Vehicle H), to revolve the axle l2. A roller 45 is connected to the frame I3 by means of a resilient arm 46 and bears against the chain 44 for tensioning the chain. Y

The journal blocks 28 and 33 and the sprocket wheel 43 are disposed between a plurality of elongated brushes 41, which are circular in cross section and which are detachably mounted on the tubes 33 of the shaft 34. Each of the brushes 4'! includes a pair of corresponding sections 48 having head portions 49 which are substantially semi-circular in cross section. The head portions 49 are provided-with substantially semi-circular grooves 50 in their flat faces. The head portions 49 are provided with outwardly projecting bristles 5| which are preferably arranged in tufts and secured in the outer'sides of the head portions 49. The pairs of brush sections 48 of each of the brushes 41 are mounted on the tubes 36 with their flat faces substantially in abutting engagement and with the groovesfifl receiving and engaging tubes 36. The sections 48 of each of the brushes 4'! are clamped to the tubes 36 by means of one or more clamping rings 52 to thereby detachably mount the brushes 4'! on the shaft 34.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the vehicle I0 is moved through a field of v clover, for example, the ground wheels ll being revolved will turn the axle l2 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 2, to rotate the internal gear 4| in a clockwise direction to thereby turn the pinion 40, shaft 39, sprockets 42 and 43, chain 44 and shaft 34 in a clockwise direction. The relative sizes of the pinion and gear 4| and sprocket 43 and sprocket 42 will cause the brushes 4? to be revolved at a greater speed than the axle I! so that the brushes will engage the pollen in the clover blossoms, not shown, for removing the pollen and distributing it to other clover plants. The lever 28 can be swung rearwardly for raising the brushes 4! or forwardly for lowering the brushes for adjusting them to clover and other plants of different heights and the brushes will be held in adjusted position by the latch element 2| engaging the teeth of the rack l9. For more extreme adjustments, the rod or bar 23 may be adjusted relatively to the arm 22 by means of the series of openings25, anyone of which is adapted to be engaged by the fastening 26. As seen in Figure 1, the brushes 4'! extend substantially beyond the sides of the vehicle I0 so that a considerable area'of a 'field may be pollenized each time that the machine moves across the field.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to. as only a' preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

'I claim as my invention:

1. A pollenizer comprising a two wheeled vehicle including a main frame supported by and pivotally mounted relatively to the wheels of the vehicle, means for rocking said frame for raising and lowering the rear end thereof, arms secured to and projecting rearwardly from said frame and provided with bearings at their free ends, a shaft journaled in said bearings, circular brushes carried by said shaft, and means for driving said shaft from the ground wheels of the vehicle for-revolving the brushes.

2. A pollenizer comprising a two wheeled vehicle including a main frame supported by and pivotally mounted between and relatively to the wheels, intermediate of its forward and .rear ends, arms secured to and projecting rearwardly from the main frame, bearings mounted on the free ends of said arms, a shaft journaled in said bearings; a plurality of circular brushes detachably secured to said shaft, a shaft journaled said sprockets for revolving the circular brushes when the wheels are in motion.

3. A device as in claim 2, said vehicle having lever means for raising and lowering the rear end of said main frame for raising and lowering the brushes.

4. A pollenizer comprising a vehicle including a main frame hung from the axle of a pair of ground wheels and pivotally mounted relatively thereto, said vehicle including a secondary frame disposed above the forward end of the main frame and provided'with a lever pivotally mounted thereon and provided with an angularly disposed arm, latch means for retaining said lever and arm in adjusted positions, saidsecondary frame being pivotally connected to the main frame above the axle, a link pivotally connected to the forward end of the main frame and pivotally and adjustably connected to the free end of said arm for angularly adjusting themain frame relatively to the secondary frame by movement of the lever; arms fixed to and projecting rearwardly from said main frame, bearings carried by the free ends of said last mentioned arms, a shaft journaled in 'said bearings, circular brushes detachably secured to said shaft and means for connecting said shaft to the ground wheels of .the vehicle for revolving the circular brushes when the Wheels are revolved.

'5. A device as in claim 4, said shaft including a rod, tubes detachably connected at their adjacent ends to the ends of said rod, said circular brushes each including a pair of substantially semi-circular brush heads having outwardly projecting bristles, said brush heads having arcuately shaped grooves for engaging said shaft, and clamping rings for securing the brush heads, of each of said pairs of brushes, to the shaft.

6. A device as in claim 4 comprising a rela-. t1vely large gear keyed to the axle and rotated by the movement of a ground wheel thereof, a shaft journaled in said main frame and provided with a pinion in mesh with said gear, said last mentioned shaft having a relatively large sprocket wheel, a small sprocket wheel keyed to said first mentioned shaft, and a' chain connectmg sald sprocket wheels for revolving the circular brushes.

RAY H. CLARK. 

